


I Love You, Idiot

by rainbowgoddess



Category: due South
Genre: Humor, M/M, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-08-02
Updated: 1999-08-02
Packaged: 2018-11-10 23:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11136723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowgoddess/pseuds/rainbowgoddess
Summary: A short conversation between Fraser and Kowalski about love and idiocy.





	I Love You, Idiot

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).
    
    
    Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them.
    Feedback, chocolate, and otters accepted at
    
                                 I Love You, Idiot
    
    "I love ya, ya idiot!" There was frustration, exasperation,
    and pleading in Ray Kowalski's voice.
    
    "Pardon me, Ray?" Fraser sounded puzzled. Who could blame him?
    thought Ray. It was probably the oddest declaration of love
    he'd ever heard. 
    
    "I said, I said I love ya, Frase." The corners of Ray's mouth
    turned up slightly. "I also said yer an idiot." 
    
    "But Ray, why?" asked Fraser. Ray had confirmed what Ben had
    thought he'd heard his partner say, but he was no less
    puzzled. 
    
    "Why do I love ya, or why did I call ya an idiot?" asked Ray.
    
    "Either. Both. " Ben found himself unable to think clearly.
    Ray loved him. Ray *loved* him? The declaration had come
    completely out of - what was the American expression? - out of
    left field. It was so bewildering that Fraser temporarily
    ignored the part about Ray calling him an idiot. It wasn't
    much different than Ray's calling him a 'freak' when they'd
    first met.
    
    Ray hadn't intended to tell Fraser of his feelings in quite
    this manner. He had been avoiding telling Fraser at all, but
    had tentatively intended to invite Fraser over for a quiet
    dinner or something at his apartment, preferably without the
    wolf there to distract them, and somehow - he hadn't planned
    exactly *how* - tell him then. He stammered, "I, uh, well, I
    love ya just 'cause yer *you*, Frase."
    
    "But what is it about my being *me* that causes you to love
    me?" asked Fraser.
    
    Damn. Ray had the feeling that banging his head against the
    wall could be more productive than talking to Fraser
    sometimes. "Well, yer always there when I need ya. You've
    saved my life more than once. "
    
    Fraser nodded as if to say, 'Continue.'
    
    "Yer just, yer a good person - ya open doors for people, ya
    help little old ladies across the street. Yer *nice*." Ray
    swallowed and took a deep breath. "And, and - ya don't resent
    me fer replacing Vecchio. Ya just accept me. Whether I'm
    chasing after Stella, which was completely hopeless, or trying
    to solve an eight year old murder case that was already closed
    - ya just go right along with me. Yer, yer amazing, Fraser."
    
    Fraser smiled. "Thank you kindly, Ray," he said. Then his face
    clouded slightly. "But why did you call me an idiot?" 
    
    "Aw, Frase," sighed Kowalski. "Sometimes, I just, I get
    frustrated, ya know? Yer always taking risks, ya jump off
    buildings, ya go after armed perps without any weapon of yer
    own, and, and, I'm afraid that one day yer gonna get yerself
    killed. So when ya asked me why I wouldn't let ya go after
    that psycho who robbed the liquor store, I just had to tell ya
    the truth. " He paused. "But I didn't mean to say it quite
    like that. I was kinda hard on you, Frase. I'm sorry. Yer not
    an idiot."  
    
    "No, Ray, I think I *am* an idiot," replied Ben. 
    
    "Wha--? Why?" asked Ray in confusion.
    
    "For not seeing what you have obviously been feeling for me
    for some time. For not paying closer attention. For not
    telling you that I love you, too."
    
    A wide grin split Kowalski's face. "Ya love me, Frase?" he
    asked.
    
    "Yes, I do. Very much, in fact," Fraser replied.
    
    "Why, Frase?" Ray asked. Turnabout was fair play.
    
    "Because, as you said, Ray, you are *you.* You are Ray."
    
    Ray stepped close enough to Fraser to look directly into the
    Mountie's clear blue eyes, close enough that they were almost,
    but not quite, touching. "And what," he asked, "is it about me
    being me that you love?" 
    
    Fraser put his hands on Ray's shoulders. "You have accepted me
    as I am, which I believe was just as difficult, if not more
    so, than my accepting *you.* You not only accepted my presence
    as Ray Vecchio's partner, you made me *your* partner. You are
    obviously very deeply committed to your job as a police
    officer. You believe in justice. You will go to any lengths to
    right what you perceive to be wrong, even if no one else can
    be bothered. And," he added, his eyes twinkling, "you have
    cute hair."
    
    "Awww, Fraser!" exclaimed Ray. Fraser cut off any further
    protests by leaning forward and kissing his partner, hard. Ray
    sighed. "I love ya, ya idiot."
    
    Fraser grinned. "I love you too, Ray." 
    
    End
    
    


End file.
